


Like a Bob Ross Painting

by 42hrb



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Autumn, Canon Compliant, Fluff and Humor, Future Fic, It's always fluff with me, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nursey loves leaves, Pining, Road Trips, Wedding Fluff, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2019-02-05 23:48:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12805041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/42hrb/pseuds/42hrb
Summary: Dex is fine. He's not pining. And if he were pining it would still be fine because pining at a wedding is fun. Who doesn't want to be surrounded by love when they don't have it.





	Like a Bob Ross Painting

**Author's Note:**

> Look I just really love Bob Ross and driving through rural Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia made me feel like I was driving through one of his paintings. Hence this fic.

“I can’t believe you still don’t drive,” Will said, trying and failing to keep the fondness from his voice, slowing as they hit traffic on the Whitestone Bridge, “You’re a 28 year old adult.”

“I’ve lived in New York most of my life, I don’t  _ need _ to drive,” Derek kicked his feet onto the dashboard. If it had been Will’s actual car he might have been annoyed, but it was a rental and Derek was paying for it, so he didn’t say anything. 

“Except for times like these,” Will pointed out, “I won’t always be around to drive your ass to our friends weddings.”

“Yeah you will, you’d never leave me, Poindexter,” Derek bat his eyelashes and blew him a kiss, “You’d be lost without me.”

“And  _ you’d _ be stranded without me,” Will chirped, a smile tugging at his lips. 

“It’s been years and you still chirp me,” Derek grinned, “And they say romance is dead.”

Will turned up the music. It had taken a few years of road trips for them to get on the same page, but they discovered that they were both fond of Vance Joy, Shakey Graves, and Blue October. Derek sang softly under his breath as Will drove them out of the city and to Providence for what felt like the 100th time since they graduated 5 years prior. 

He wasn’t sure why they’d car pooled the first time, he hadn’t owned a car and was planning on taking the train, Derek couldn’t drive and was planning on flying, then someone had asked if they were driving together and next thing Will knew Derek was renting them a car and Will was driving them north. 

They hadn’t bothered to change it up since then, and honestly, they didn’t need to, it worked well. 

Things had changed a lot since they graduated from Samwell, Dex wasn’t shit broke anymore, Chowder played for the Rangers, Nurse was the top copy editor at a small publishing company, they were all doing well. They all tried to get together a couple times a month, but with his NHL schedule Chris couldn’t make it as often as he liked, but Derek and Will never missed a week, and honestly, they rarely missed a day.

The drive from Derek’s Brooklyn apartment to Providence was just under three and a half hours and with the way Will drove they usually got there in about three hours and fifteen minutes. This drive though, Will took his time. 

They didn’t technically need to be at the hotel until dinner with the guys at 6 and the drive through New England was beautiful this time of year, he didn't mind taking a little longer to enjoy the view. Plus, the earlier they got there, the longer they'd have to help with wedding stuff and it wasn't that Dex didn't love Bitty and Jack, but he definitely didn't love arts and crafts. 

“Yo Will, can we stop here?” Derek asked suddenly, jolting Will from his thoughts.

“I told you to pee before we left,” Will rolled his eyes, but pulled off at a scenic overlook. They were the only ones at the overlook and Will bit back a smile at the way Derek’s eyes lit up. 

“The trees match your hair.”

“Oh fuck you,” Will snorted, “The leaves don’t match my hair.”

“They do,” Derek picked up a leaf off the ground and held it up to Will’s hair, “I’m in a forest of beautiful Poindexter hair.”

“You paint such a vivid picture,” Will leaned against the little wooden fence, “Such a wordsmith. Are you, by chance, a poet?”

“Oh fuck you Poindexter, I could write sonnets about your hair,” Derek jumped onto the picnic table, “Odes to your eyes, an epic about my love.”

Will laughed, fighting the flush the threatened to spread across his cheeks, “You, have absolutely no chill.”

“For some reason I lose all my chill around you, William Poindexter,” Derek laughed, “There once was a man named Dex, who dreamed of lot’s of -”

“We’re going to stop there, you’ve rhymed my name with sex enough times to know how that one ends,” Will pushed off the fence and walked back toward the car, “Come one, let’s go. I bet if we get there early Bitty will feed us. You know he’s stress baking as we speak.”

“Think Chow will propose to Cait now that the wedding is almost over,” Derek asked a little while later when they crossed into Rhode Island. 

“I’ll be surprised if he makes it back to New York before asking,” Will snorted, “He’s got no  _ chill _ .”

Derek grinned at him and Will’s stomach swooped, “ _ You’ve _ got no chill Poindexter.”

“I never said I did,” Will turned up the music. He was going to spend the entire weekend with Derek at his very best, surrounded by their friends who knew him better than anyone in New York and who brought out Derek's charm, he needed a little time to prepare himself. Every time Derek opened his mouth Will wanted to either kiss him or fight him. Or both. That was something that would probably never change.

It was just that most of their former teammates had settled down or were well on their way to settling down. It was weird seeing Shitty and Lardo with a baby, Ransom married, Holster engaged, hell, even the tadpoles were mostly in serious relationships these days. Everyone but himself and Nursey. 

Will dated occasionally, mostly when his coworkers set him up, and it never lasted longer than a few months. He was busy with working at a small but profitable startup, and he’d never say it out loud, but there was also Nursey. He’d probably always harbor a little something for Derek Nurse. 

And Nurse would joke that he didn’t need a partner because he already had Dex. So, yeah, they were both single. 

“Over/under on Bitty and mama Bittle getting into the Great Jam Fight of 2016 all over again,” Nurse asked as they pulled into Eric and Jack’s driveway. 

“She wouldn’t right before the wedding, would she?”

“Only one way to find out,” Derek opened the trunk and grabbed the boxes that they’d brought from New York at Bitty’s request.

The door opened before Will could knock and Jack stood in the doorway, “Oh thank god.”

“Everything okay?” Will asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer. The last time he talked to Bitty on the phone had been three days ago and he’d seemed okay then, but a lot can change in three days. 

“Bits was convinced you two would forget to bring the champagne. I told him even if you did, we could buy it here,” Jack waved his hand as if to say, ‘you know Bitty’.

Will and Derek nodded, they did know Bitty.

\------

Will took a sip of his beer, smiling at the busser who took his plate away. Bitty had managed to transform the barn where the reception was so that it was barely recognizable. To his right Derek was talking loudly about the rec league hockey team that he and Will played on, to his left Ransom was talking to Holster, loud enough that the table could hear. 

“We’re thinking about adoption,” Rans’ smile was soft, the kind of soft that made Will’s heart clench. 

“By thinking, Justin means we already have baby coming,” Tater’s smile was so bright Will had to look away. The rest of the table was grinning at Ransom and Tater, “Little Sam get here next week! We even have room done already”

“Bro!” Holster hugged Ransom so hard that Will was sure his head might pop off, “You’re having a baby!”

Before anyone else could jump in, the first dance was announced and they all turned to face the dance floor. Derek leaned his head against Will’s shoulder, “Do you ever feel like everyone else is growing up and starting their lives and we’re just here, two bros who haven’t done any of that yet.”

Will looked at Chowder and Cait, an engagement ring now on her finger, at Ransom and Tater who were adopting a freaking kid, at Holster and Halle, at Shitty and Lardo, little Ella on Shitty lap, “At least we’ve got each other.”

Derek huffed out a laugh, “Sap.”

“Shut up and watch the dancing, asshole,” Dex flicked his arm and Derek grabbed his hand, squeezing it and not letting go. Will felt his heartbeat in his throat, but he didn’t let go of Derek’s hand, he never wanted to.

Bitty and Jack looked so happy, completely wrapped up in each other as they danced to  _ Drunk in Love _ . It was actually pretty well choreographed, not that anyone was surprised. 

The two days that lead up to the wedding had been surprisingly calm on the wedding front. There had, of course, been the usual whirlwind that came with the former Samwell men’s hockey players, but that was familiar, even comfortable. 

There hadn’t been any disasters with the centerpieces, with the venue, or with Bitty’s family. Will was pretty sure that had a lot to do with Bob and Alicia Zimmermann keeping things under control, for which he was grateful. It had meant that the team and their respective partners had a chance to just hang out. It felt like the old days between Rans and Holster completing each other’s sentences and Shitty ditching his pants. 

Once the dance ended the DJ invited everyone onto the dance floor. Dex allowed himself to be pulled up from his chair by Derek, willing his stomach to stop flipping. He and Nursey were in such a good place now, really good friends, probably best friends if Dex was honest with himself, he didn’t want to ruin that with his unrequited feelings. 

“Put a smile on Poindexter,” Derek spun Will around with a laugh, “This is a wedding, it’s a celebration,  of  _ love _ .”

“I’m celebrating plenty,” Will rolled his eyes, but spun Derek around, his heart feeling light.

“Well, _now_ you are,” Nurse grabbed Will’s hand and they danced. Will let himself enjoy it, let himself think that maybe this could be real, that one day maybe this could be them. 

Three songs later Dex managed to duck off the dance floor when Derek got pulled into a dance off with Holster and Shitty. He tucked himself against a wall with a drink, watching everyone dancing and laughing. 

He was happy being with all his friends, seeing everyone so happy, but he was also a little sad. Well, maybe sad was the wrong word. He was a little melancholy and he didn’t know why. Well, that was wrong too; he knew why. He was glad that everyone else was so happy, he  _ was _ happy, but he wanted something more. He was tired of pining. 

“You’re looking awfully lonely over here Poindexter,” Derek leaned against the wall next to Will, gently bumping their shoulders together.  Will barely managed not to jump out of his skin. 

“They really managed to capture ‘autumn’ as the theme,” Will looked around the barn, it looked like something off of Pinterest, “Bitty outdid himself.”

“Of course he did,” Nurse leaned against the wall, watching as everyone danced and mingled. Will watched him instead of the other people, “Fall is the most beautiful season after all.”

“You just love it because you love leaves,” Will grinned, bumping his shoulder against Derek’s, feeling a little warm under the collar at the way Derek looked at him, “Fall was always destined to be your favorite.”

“It must be the autumn in your hair, the sunshine that’s somehow been trapped in your eyes, the way you’ve managed to become the embodiment of my favorite season,” Derek’s voice was quiet, his eyes steady as he looked at Will, “Maybe it’s that you’re both the chill in the air and the fire that warms me up, maybe  _ you _ were always destined to be my favorite.”

There wasn’t anything that Will could say to top that or at all really, but he tried, “So you’re a poet after all.”

“I told you, I could write odes about you,” Derek gave a helpless shrug, like he was starting to regret saying anything at all.

“Well, I’m no poet,” Will stepped a little closer to him, wishing he wasn’t holding a drink, “My feelings tend to manifest in more physical ways.”

“That so?” Derek offered him a smile, but he still looked a little helpless.

“Yeah, like this one time,” Will took a breath to steady himself, “I was so into a guy that I built him an entire bedroom set.”

The smile that spread across Derek’s face lit Will’s heart on fire, “Oh yeah?”

“And this other time, I made him weekly dinners for three years because he’d eat takeout every night if I didn’t,” Will put a hand on Derek’s hip, “But see, he does stuff for me too.”

“Does he now?” Derek put his hand on Will’s shoulder, stepping a little closer to him, invading Will’s space, like he had been for years. 

Will squeezed Derek’s hip, “Sure, he drags me out of my comfort, he tells me stories, he makes me smile.”

“You make him smile too,” Derek’s lips quirked up, “So, I’m gonna kiss you now, if that’s chill.”

Will rolled his eyes on instinct, but he was smiling, “Yeah Derek, that’s  _ chill _ .”

Derek closed the gap between them, his lips soft against Will’s. It was gentle, but it only took Will slipping his hand under Derek’s button down to deepen it. He pinned Derek against the wall, grateful that they were the same height, it made kissing easy. 

“Will, fuck Will,” Derek said into the kiss, “God, I’ve wanted to do this forever.”

“Me too,” Will grinned into Derek’s neck, “Only took three weddings for us to get here.”

“Yoooo,” Holster’s voice was too close for comfort, Will looked behind him to see Holster and Random high fiving, “Foiiine.”

“Fines ended when we left the Haus,” Derek laughed, “Go back to your partners, I want to spend some time with mine.”

“Partner huh?” Will’s heart flipped.

“Figure we did it on the ice for four years at Samwell,” Derek shrugged, “It’s a good title.”

“Yeah, yeah it is,” Will wanted to take Derek back to the hotel and solidify the next step of their partnership right now, but Chowder grabbed both of them in a tight hug before he could suggest it quietly to Derek.

“Guys!! You’re together!! Guys!!” Chowder’s smile was as bright as the fucking sun, “I can’t believe you’re finally together!”

“Yeah, who had Jack and Bitty’s wedding in the pool?” Lardo asked with a smirk.

Shitty pulled out a little notebook, “That would be, Jack.”

“Jack?” Ransom and Holster said at the same time. Some things never change. 

“Wait, you guys bet on if we’d get together?” Will asked, feeling Derek’s hand in his and squeezing it. 

No one looked ashamed of themselves, which wasn’t surprising at all if he was honest with himself. Bitty and Jack walked over to their little corner of the barn, “Actually, we bet on when y’alled get together, not if.”

“When, not if,” Derek smiled, “Like fate.”

“Well, Dex does make you dinner twice a week, and you play hockey together one night a week,  _ and _ you go out together at least once a week,” Chowder said like he was explaining something to a kindergartener, “It just seemed kind of inevitable.”

“Yeah, that seems fair,” Derek nodded and they all laughed. Will felt like that last piece of himself was finally clicking into place. 

\------

“It feels like we’re driving through a Bob Ross painting,” Derek grinned lacing his fingers through Will’s as they drove back to New York the afternoon after the wedding. They’d gotten a bit of a late start, it had been hard to pull themselves out of the hotel room. 

“It’s really beautiful,” Dex kissed Nurse’s knuckles, pulling into the next rest stop. He’d been planning on stopping soon anyway, he wanted to see Nurse’s smile at the leaves again, it lit up his entire face. 

“You beautiful fucker,” Nurse got out of the car and took a deep breath. There was the smile that Will had been hoping for, it made him feel lighter just looking at it. 

“You sound like Shitty,” Will laughed, “Don’t make me feel like stopping was a mistake.”

“There are no mistakes, Poindexter, just happy accidents,” Derek grabbed a handful of leaves and threw them in the air with a grin.

“Are you a happy tree?” Dex asked, not even trying to hide his smile. 

“Of course I am, I’m with you,” Nurse picked up more leaves and dropped them on Dex’s head before running away yelling, “They matched your hair, I couldn’t resist.”

“I’m not a fucking Bob Ross painting Nursey,” Dex ran after him with a laugh, tackling him into a pile of leaves with a dull thud.

“Coulda fooled me,” Nurse leaned up and kissed him, “Meeting you was the happiest accident of my life.”

Dex smiled into the kiss. Yeah, it was a pretty happy accident.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](exhuastedpigeon.tumblr.com)


End file.
